BJP to deploy UP leaders for Gujarat poll duty

The BJP is drawing up a strategy to marshal resources for the electoral battle in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah's home state of Gujarat, as it is contemplating deploying at least half a dozen Uttar Pradesh ministers for the Gujarat Assembly poll duty.

With many people from Uttar Pradesh, especially from the central and eastern regions, having migrated to work in Surat and other districts of the state, the BJP election managers are thinking of bringing in known political figures from Lucknow to reachout to the Hindi-speaking electorates.

Party sources said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will be used for campaigning in the state, and that the services of other ministers such as Swatantradev Singh are also expected to be utilised keeping in mind different castes of Uttar Pradesh migrants spread over most parts of Gujarat.

Saffron-clad Adityanath, who is chief priest of Gorakhnath Math in Gorakhpur, has been in demand during elections in states due to the Hindutva cause he espouses in his public speeches.

Shah had got him to participate in the on-going 15-day-long march to protest the killing of BJP and RSS workers in Kerala.

Modi had talked about the Uttar Pradesh migrant workers' contribution in Gujarat's development during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Modi had said that people from all districts of Uttar Pradesh have moved to Gujarat to do wonders for the state.

A large number of migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are engaged by the diamond factories in Surat, as well as other businesses.

With both the populous states contributing hugely to domestic migration, the BJP has been deploying leaders from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for the management of elections to Lok Sabha and state Assemblies.